The antimicrobial properties of plant extracted substances are known due to its empirical use throughout the centuries and are being recently confirmed by science. Many researches, in several countries, including Brazil, owner of one of the world's largest biodiversity, were performed in view of the popular knowledge of the native species. Extracts and essential oils from some species were efficient in fighting microorganisms, such as filamentous fungi, yeast and bacteria. Some plants are described as possessing antimicrobial properties (such as antibacterial and antifungal) such as: olive tree (Olea europaea), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), andiroba (carapa guianensis), garlic (Allium sativum), sessile joyweed (Althernanthera sessilis) and some marine algae. These and other plants can be found in several countries besides Brazil, such as Cuba, India, Mexico and Jordan. Around the world, antimicrobial products are gaining special attention due to the increase in bacteria population resistance to conventional antibiotics; considering that no new class of antibiotics was discovered in the last years (1).
Certain chemical classes found in plants with antimicrobial activity (antibacterial and antifungal) can be cited such as terpenes and fenols (thymol, carvone, carvacrol, menthol and murolene) (2.3). Despite the fact that the mechanism of action of these substances is still unknown, there are clues that suggest that the action is associated with the lipophilic character of the compounds, which builds up in cell membranes, leading to a loss of energy of these cells (4,5)
Plants from several regions from Brazil possess other farmacological properties and have being used as natural medicines by local population, treating several tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria and fungal and bacterial infections (6). Despite the vast biodiversity of Brazil, antimicrobial activity data is available only for 44 plant species from 20 families, including native and exotic species. Practical uses that can be suggested for these plants include phytotherapeutical products for human and animal use, as well as food industry and cleaning products.
The next paragraphs give details of patents and scientific papers related to products containing natural products with antimicrobial action using the plants of the present invention: Protium, Guatteria, Cyperus and Aniba. 
The species Protium heptaphyllum March is a plant belonging to genus Protium and to the family Burseraceae, native in Brazilian cerrado. Some genus of this family (Elaphrium, Icica, Canarium and Protium) are producers of oily resins also known as “elemi”. Siani et al. (10) describe the essential oils extracted from the leaves and the resins from Protium species as having anti-inflammatory activity, but a product containing said essential oils has not been suggested.
No document in patent literature regarding the use of Protium plants for the purposes herein described was found.
Document US 2007/0166255 describes a formulation containing natural lignans for topical use in the prevention and treatment of sunburns and wounds. These lignans are found as conjugated glycosides in several parts of plants of several genus, being associated to fibers, specially in conifers.
Plants from genus Guatteria belongs to family Annonaceae, dicotyledons from Magnoliales order. This group includes several fruits used as foods such as soursop (Annona muricata), fruta-do-conde (Annona coriaceae) and sugar-apple (Annona squamosa). Guatteria citriodora Ducke, also known as laranjinha or laranjeirinha, is a tree from this family, native from Amazon region of Brazil. Guatteria genus plants have been described in scientific papers containing antileishmanial and antimalarial activity.
The patent literature contains few documents related to Guatteria plants.
In documents WO 04/084801 and WO 05/035783, these plants are cited for treatment of leishmaniasis. It is known that this plant contain aporphinic alkaloids, an alkaloid subclass, described in these documents as useful for both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, in both animals and humans.
Document US 2005/0181077 describes the use of this genus and the discover of medicines. In this document, two families used in the present invention, namely Annonaceae and Cyperaceae are suggested; however, only the genus Guatteria is suggested in the present invention. There is no suggestion of the possibility of using plants from Cyperus genus, unlike the present invention. The pharmaceutical formulation proposed is aimed to the treatment of AIDS while the present invention is not.
Documents WO 03/08278 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,127 suggest the use of Guatteria gaumeri in the preparation of a pharmaceutical formulation useful in treating hypercholesterolemia.
No document in patent literature regarding the use of Guatteria citriodora for the purposes herein described was found.
Aniba roseodora Ducke, also known as rosewood, is a 30-meter tall tree that can be found in north and western Amazon, specially in the states of Amazônia, Pará and Amapá.
Documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,150,888, 7,048,953 and US 2004/0009245 disclose antibacterial activity of Aniba roseodora essential oil. In these documents is suggested the inhalation of essential oil vapors for antibacterial effects in the respiratory tract. In the abovementioned documents there is no suggestion of spray formulations for skin wounds.
Document WO 05/087244 describes a pharmaceutical formulation with antimicrobial activity containing at least two essential oils, derived from several genus of plants, including Aniba, and more specifically Aniba roseodora, also used in the present invention. The antimicrobial activity aimed in this document in antifungal, while the present invention is not.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,060,306 described a formulation for treatment and relief of skin disorders such as dermatitis, psoriasis, cutaneous rash. In the formulation disclosed, the essential oil of 11 natural agents, such as karate butter, mango butter, beeswax, chamomile, carrot seed oil, rosemary oil, cedar wood oil, pau-rosa oil, rose fruits oil, grapefruit seed extract and sweet orange oil, are suggested in formulations of lotions or soaps for treatment of skin disorders. The genus used in the present invention, namely Cyperus, Guatteria, Protium or Aniba, have not been cited in this document.
The use of Aniba extract is also suggested in documents EP 1 239 735 and Wo 06/101409, respectively, regarding formulations related to insecticide activity and a cosmetic formulation, including a skin spray formulation. However, document WO 06/101409 does not mention the simultaneous use of Protium and Guatteria species.
No document related to the use of essential oils obtained from Aniba plants in disinfectant formulations was found.
The remaining genus used in the present invention, Cyperus, belongs to Cyperaceae family, which includes about 600 species of aquatic plants, that can be found in tropical and temperate zones of all continents. This genus is known as one of the most invasive weeds known, being allelophatic, i.e. its roots release harmful substances to other plants. It is used in alternative medicine to treat sickness, fever, inflammation and pain.
Several patents disclose Cyperus plants. Document WO 06/117516 discloses a formulation with antibacterial activity for topic use useful for treating infections caused by microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, in which the species Cyperus esculentus is used. This document still suggests that C. esculentus extracts can be used alone or in combination with other essential oils in aromatherapy. No reference was found regarding the use of Cyperus rotundus Linn.
Document WO 06/096239 describes the use of Cyperus plants as part of a antimicrobial formulation used to provide skin benefits. Like WO 06/117516, this plant's extract is used as a natural oil optionally included to provide fragrance.
Documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,569,843 and 4,696,818 reveal a method for treatment of drug abuse comprising oral administration of a herbal formulation, containing Radiz angelica sinensis, Herba pogostemi, Cyperus rotundus and Squama manitis pendactilae. Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,684 reveals a production process of a composition for use in insulin-dependent diabetes treatment. The main active is a mixture of terpenes from Cyperus rotundus Linn, being orally administered. Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,651 reveals the use of a extract of Cyperus rotundus Linn in the preparation of a cosmetic or pharmaceutical composition for the promotion of skin and hair pigmentation or for treatment of pigmentation disorders. Such documents propose different uses and formulations when compared with the present invention, i.e. the technical problems solved are different, as well as the technical solutions proposed therein.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,825 describes the use of Cyperus plant extracts as part of polymers comprising antimicrobial agents and methods for production of them. This plant is described as a phytochemical that can be added to a product as a biocidal agent (expression used collectively for disinfectants, chemical sterilizers, antiseptic and preservatives). The abovementioned document does not anticipates or overlap with the present invention, since essential oils of Protium and/or Guatteria plants are not used.
The scientific literature listed below, related to the prior art, does neither anticipates nor suggests, directly or indirectly, any of the objects of the present invention.    1 BAQUERO F, BLÁZQUEZ J (1997) Tree 12:482-487    2 SMID E J, KOEKEN J P G, GORRIS L G M (1996) In: Modern Fungicides and Antimicrobial Compounds, Lyr H., Russell P E, Sisler H D Eds., Intercept: Andover, UK, 173-180    3 HELANDER I M, ALAKOMI H L, LATVA-KALA K, MATTILA-SANDHOLM T, POL I, SMID E J, GORRIS L G M, VON WRIGHT, A (1998) J. Agric. Food Chem. 46:3590-3595    4 CONNER D E (1993) In: Antimicrobials and Foods, Davidson P M, Branem A L Eds, Dekker: New York, 441-468    5 SIKKEMA J, D E BONT J A M, POOLMAN B (1995) Microbiology Reviews 59:201-222    6 ALVES, T M A, SILVA A F, BRANDÃO M, GRANDI T S M, SMÂNIA E F, SMÂNIA J Á, ZANI C L (2000) Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 95:367-373    7 MONTENEGRO H, GUTIERREZ M, ROMERO L I, ORTEGA-BARRIA E, CAPSON T L, CUBILLA RIOS L (2003) Aporphine alkaloids from Guatteria spp. with leishmanicidal activity. Planta medica, 69: 677-679.    8 FISHER D C, DE AMORIM GUALDA N C, BACHIEGA D, CARVALHO C S, LUPO F N, BONOTTO S V, ALVES O, YOGI A, SANTI S M, AVILA P E, KIRCHGATTER K, MORENO PR. Acta Trop. 2004 November-December; 92(3):261-6    9 WENIGER B, ARAGON R, DEHARO E, BASTIDA J, CODINA C, LOBSTEIN A, ANTON R. Pharmazie. 2000 November; 55(11):867-8    10 SIANI, A C; RAMOS, M F S; LIMA, O M; SANTOS, R R; FERREIRA, E F; SOARES, R O A.; ROSAS, E C; SUSUNAGA, G S; GUIMARÃES, A C; ZOGHBI, M G B, HENRIQUES, M G M O J. Ethnopharmacol., 1999, 47; 890-892
In summary, the present invention provides a new combination of natural agents with antimicrobial and biofilm removing properties. This combination, which includes necessarily essential oils from plants belonging to genus Cyperus and/or Guatteria and/or Protium and, at least, the essential oil of plants from other (or the same) genus, being the preferred genus in the present invention the genus Aniba. As described above, formulations containing this combination of essential oils with this type of action are unknown.